Where`s The Beef?

An Ex-chicagoan Pines Over A Sandwich Left Behind

January 11, 1990|By Pat Dailey.

Q-This is a plea for help from a displaced Chicagoan who moved out of the Chicago area in 1973 due to job transfers. Last month, I happened to be in town on business and enjoyed a treat that is exclusively Chicago-an Italian beef sandwich. I had been away so long that I`d forgotten just how good such a wet mess of sandwich could taste. I`ve not seen any Italian beef sandwiches outside Chicago and certainly not here in the Atlanta area. A Philly cheese steak is no comparison and that`s what everyone thinks I`m looking for when I describe it.

Could you forward a recipe for this tasty delight? I don`t know if any place in the city is rated the best for its Italian beef, but any good recipe that is incredibly large, soggy and delightful to eat will satisfy my needs.

Thank you for your help in this matter. My tastebuds eagerly await your quick response.

Edward Agustin, Norcross, Ga.

A-Fifteen years is much too long to stay away from Chicago and certainly too long to go without an Italian beef sandwich. They are, as you conclude, thoroughly Chicago. They were born and bred here and never strayed far from home.

In order to respond to your request properly, a bit of very methodical and scholarly research was in order. We went on an Italian beef binge, working our way through all sorts of sandwiches, finding different styles and different tastes but never a bad one in the bunch. Of course, this arduous task would be of little value to you unless we were able to tell you how to duplicate those sensational sandwiches on your own home turf.

Between bites, we asked some questions and several obliging restaurant owners dropped hints here and there as to where we might begin. But after a few teasing clues, we basically were left to our own devices. Could we make a sandwich that would do Chicago proud?

Absolutely! The following recipe is right up there with the best Italian beefs that Chicago has to offer. The thinly sliced beef is cooked just right- not overcooked to the leathery stage that is seen in second-rate versions. Assertive seasonings add the characteristic punch. The sauce comes from natural pan juices that conspire to make a wonderful soggy mess of a sandwich when spooned into soft Italian rolls.

On future visits to Chicago, you might want to explore another option. One well-known cookie maven reportedly flies her Lear jet into Chicago on occasion, all the while asking ``Where`s the beef?`` She heads straight to Mr. Beef at 666 N. Orleans St. in Chicago and places an order for 25 pounds, packed to go. Mr. Beef sells carry-outs of Italian beef for $6.50 a pound, a small price to pay for an authentic taste of Chicago.

At any rate, here`s our recipe. Whether it tastes as good in Atlanta as it does in Chicago remains to be seen. We can`t, after all, add one essential ingredient: the undisputed pleasure of eating the sandwich in the city of broad shoulders, where folks at the next table may well be talking about Chicago politics or the Bears or Cubs or Bulls. It all adds to the flavor.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine seasonings in small dish. Rub half over all surfaces of meat, working some of it under fat layer. Put meat in a shallow pan just large enough to hold it. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

2. Remove pan from oven and pour cold water into bottom of pan. Let stand several minutes until fat has solidified, then remove and discard fat. Add remaining seasoning mixture to pan juices. Return to oven and continue baking until cooked as desired, preferably rare. Rare will register 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and will take 15 to 20 minutes for the final step.

3. For easier slicing, place meat in freezer until almost solid. Refrigerate pan juices.

4. To serve, slice meat into paper-thin slices, using a meat slicer or electric knife if available. Heat either by placing several slices at a time in microwave oven just until warm, 30 to 40 seconds, or by placing in a steamer over simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes. Heat pan juices and spoon over split rolls. Add meat and peppers as desired and serve immediately.

Q-For several years, I have been using sun-dried tomatoes, which I buy in a jar. They are packed in oil so they are soft and pliable and can be used as is. Recently, I saw sun-dried tomatoes in the produce section that were dry-that is, sold without any oil. I like the idea of buying them without the oil but am baffled as to how to use them. They look very dry and hard. What are you supposed to do with them?

K. Joyce, Chicago.

A-Because most of the moisture has been evaporated out, sun-dried tomatoes are quite dry, as you noted. Packing them in oil softens them without diminishing the intense flavor that makes them so distinct. How to prepare the dry-packed tomatoes depends on how they are to be used. If you`re adding them to a sauce that will be cooked, simply add them as is. The hot liquid will rehydrate them.

To use on pizzas, in salads or in uncooked sauces, they must be soaked in a small amount of hot water or other liquid prior to use. Put the tomatoes in a small dish and add just enough hot water to cover. Let them soak for about 15 minutes to soften them. The liquid can be added to sauces, if desired.